Coburn endorses Feinberg in PA18

As anticipated, one of Evan Feinberg's former bosses on Capitol Hill -- tea party favorite Tom Coburn -- has endorsed him in his GOP primary battle with incumbent Rep. Tim Murphy.

"We have an opportunity to retire another "Arlen Specter Republican" in Pennsylvania this year with someone I know from personal experience who shares our conservative principles and will stand and fight with me and for you against government waste," Coburn, R-Oklahoma, said in a letter released by the Feinberg campaign today. "I strongly support Evan Feinberg for the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District."

Full news release and letter from Coburn after the jump:

Pittsburgh, PA—U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., announced today he is endorsing Evan Feinberg for Congress. Feinberg is a candidate for United States Congress in the 18th District of Pennsylvania and a former member of Dr. Coburn’s staff.

Sen. Coburn is a national conservative leader, known in Washington, D.C. for his commitment to fiscal responsibility and rooting out wasteful and unnecessary spending. In his endorsement, Dr. Coburn was effusive in his praise of his former staffer and had harsh words for the incumbent, Tim Murphy:

“I strongly support Evan Feinberg for the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District,” Dr. Coburn said. “Evan is the fresh face the conservative movement needs to broaden its appeal. He possesses the vigor and determination necessary to wage the war against entrenched special interests in Washington.”

Dr. Coburn labeled Tim Murphy an “Arlen Specter Republican,” referring to his penchant for prioritizing his career above the country and the interests of his constituents. “Fixing the problems facing our country starts with replacing the career politicians who are part of the problem.”

Evan responded to Dr. Coburn’s support saying, “I am thrilled to accept the endorsement of such a principled statesman as Dr. Coburn, whose integrity, courage and conviction are second to none. When elected, I will join his fight to expose the actions of self-serving career politicians and govern based on limited government, pro-growth economic policies and honest governance.”

Other highlights in Dr. Coburn’s endorsement letter included his praise for Evan’s assistance in fighting against Obamacare and developing free market alternatives to government-run health care. Coburn also cited Evan’s tireless efforts to identify waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government and develop innovative solutions to rein in excessive government growth.

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Read Dr. Coburn’s Full Endorsement Letter:

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Every two years, you and I vote for candidates who promise to change Washington by ending wasteful spending. Yet, no matter who wins, Congress just continues to borrow more and spend more. Since the last election, more than $1 trillion has been added to the national debt.

How can this be?

Within just a few days of becoming a member of the Senate, I learned the answer firsthand.

Politicians tell you one thing about cutting spending to get your vote and then fight like children to grab the biggest piece of the budget pie. The price for getting your pie in Congress is supporting the pork of other politicians.

Consider only 15 out of 100 senators voted for an amendment I offered to defund those infamous Bridges to Nowhere in Alaska. Forty-two Republican Senators voted for the bridges which had come to symbolize the excesses of government waste and stupidity.

Then-Republican Senator Arlen Specter was one of those who voted for the Bridges to Nowhere. Yet Specter had told voters for years he supported a balanced budget. But during our time in the Senate together, he rarely supported my efforts to cut wasteful spending, and behind closed doors, he actually fought to increase spending. Pennsylvania voters caught on and replaced Specter with Pat Toomey, a proven champion of limited government.

Senator Specter's behavior was not unusual. In fact, he was no different than most of the career politicians in either party I have witnessed in Washington. They put protecting their own jobs before principle and think their next election is more important than the next generation.

We have an opportunity to retire another "Arlen Specter Republican" in Pennsylvania this year with someone I know from personal experience who shares our conservative principles and will stand and fight with me and for you against government waste.

I strongly support Evan Feinberg for the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District.

Evan served on my Senate staff for over three years. During that time, Evan helped me develop a free market alternative to Obamacare that would have ensured that you and your doctor—rather than the government—controlled your health care decisions. Evan relentlessly identified government waste and tirelessly pursued innovative solutions.

Evan is the fresh face the conservative movement needs to broaden its appeal. He possesses the vigor and determination necessary to wage the war against entrenched special interests in Washington.

While the media portray Washington as being paralyzed with partisan disagreements, there is one area of bipartisan consensus: borrowing and spending.

Fixing the problems facing our country starts with replacing the career politicians who are part of the problem. Congressman Tim Murphy, whom Evan is challenging for the Republican nomination, was first elected to Congress a decade ago and gained a reputation for fighting for a bigger piece of the budget pie rather than for you. Just like other career politicians, Congressman Murphy says he is for cutting wasteful spending but then votes to waste your tax dollars on wasteful pork projects. He even voted for the Bridge to Nowhere, just like Arlen Specter.

This should come as no surprise since Murphy has consistently supported wasteful pork barrel projects from coast to coast, like $200,000 for a lobster institute in Maine,to $50,000 for a mule museum in California.

Murphy both voted against investigating corruption between campaign donations from the disgraced lobbying firm PMA Group and against investigating corrupt congressional earmarks. In fact, more than 60 percent of the pork projects Murphy has earmarked himself went into the pockets of his own campaign donors, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Murphy joined Democrats and voted against a balanced budget proposed by the Republican Study Committee. Politicians may say they support a balanced budget, but actions speak louder than words.

Evan Feinberg gives us an opportunity to send someone to Washington whose actions will match his words. Evan has proven he has the courage and integrity to stand up for what is right and to put our children and grandchildren first.

Knowing Evan personally, and having fought side-by-side with him for many years, I have full confidence Evan will be an exceptional leader in Congress. I am making a contribution to Evan's campaign and ask you to consider making a donation of $100, $250, $1,000, or whatever you can afford (up to the maximum limit of $2,500 for an individual and $5,000 for a couple).

Sincerely,

Tom Coburn, M.D.

United States Senator

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